Wednesday, October 1, 2014 Indiana State University www.indianastatesman.com Volume 122 Issue 18
ISU bus blues (Photo by Gary Macadaeg).
Bus breakdown spells inconvenience for commuters, campus residents alike MYESHA GARNER Reporter A bus that transports Indiana State University students broke down and now students are forced to ride a smaller bus to get around campus. The Indiana State University campus provides a number of opportunities to students, one being access to the campus bus. Those who do not own vehicles or do not have their vehicles with them on campus are openly given the option to use campus transportation. The breakdown of the usual campus bus has caused a number of issues recently. Not only is the replacement bus smaller, but students are stating that there is no air conditioning and the bus may not be as efficient as the bigger bus
was. Dior Johnson, a senior human resource major, is a frequent rider of the campus bus. “I like the large city bus that looks like the normal bus,” Johnson said. “The short bus never has enough room or air conditioning so it’s hot in the summer time. It takes about an hour to get to Wal-Mart and another hour to get back from Wal-Mart and back to campus. It is a very time-consuming process to get groceries or to get to the mall.” The bus is offered as a convenient resource to students, yet some are saying it isn’t completely convenient. Although the bus is free to students, they must have their student ID in order to be allowed onboard. There is a small fee that some students do not know about regarding
transportation embedded in their school fees. Technically, students are paying for the bus whether they are riding it regularly or not. Sydney Jackson, a junior health science major, has been riding the bus for almost three years. “The campus bus is free, just like the city buses,” Jackson said. Students do pay for the bus whether they use them or not. The bus service is prepaid by assessed tuition and fees, according to Indiana State’s website. Opinions on the new bus have been all but reassuring to students. Those who have been at Indiana State University for an extended period are accustomed to the bigger bus, so the change has not come without difficulty to some students.
Debbie Hensley, the office manager for Terre Haute Transit, provided a brief insight into the future of the new campus bus arrangement. “The bus broke down [the engine was blown] and is being retired. That left students using the old bus 47 again,” Hensley said. “This bus is smaller than what new students are used to. Terre Haute Bus Transit plans on getting a new bus, and it is on the way but it could take a while before students can start using this new bus.” Although new plans may be in the works, according to the university they might not happen immediately. Depending on a student’s outlook, the bus can either be seen as a convenient resource or a temporary inconvenience based on its recent difficulty.